Floor board tightener



March 27, 1951 R BLQMSTRQM 2,546,294

FLOOR BOARD TIGHTE-NER Filed Aug. 14, 1946 Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLOOR BOARD TIGHTENER Ray E. Blomstrom, Pillager, Minn.-

Application August 14, 1946, Serial No. 690,539

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a device for tightening boards, such as the tongue and groove boards used in flooring. It is desirable to have each floor board pressed tightly against the adjoining board as the former is placed into position so that it can be nailed while it is so pressed.

It is an object of this invention to provide a very simple and efficient device for engaging and moving a board, such as floor board.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a floor board tightening device comprising a circular disc, the same preferably having'a peripheral rib extending thereabout, upper and lower plates fitting about said disc and rib, one or more of said plates having a side constructed and arranged to engage a board such as a floor board, said disc having a vertical aperture extending therethrough at one side of the center thereof, a handle secured to said disc and eXtend ing to "one side thereof, and a pin extending through said aperture and adapted to be driven into the floor support, whereby when said handle is turned said plates will be moved laterally so that they can engage a board and press it into position.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such a device as set forth in the preceding paragraph, said plates having one of their sides rectilinear and offset so that the lower plate can extend under the tongue on a floor board and the upper plate can engage the outer side of said tongue.

It is still further an object of the invention to provide such a device as set forth in the preceding paragraph save one, in which said handle is made of hollow or tubular form at its outer end and being open at its outer end so that it can receive said pin, together with a cap for closing said outer end.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention'will be fully set forth in the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which:

, Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device, the same being shown as engaging one of a number of boards, a portion of the device being broken away and another portion shown in horizontal section;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the device, a portion of flooring and floor support being shown in vertical section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 1, as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on line 44 of Fig. l, as indicated by the arrows, Figs. 3 and 4 being shown on a reduced scale; and

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of a pin used.

,Referring to the drawings, a device is shown comprising a circular disc Iii. Disc I2 preferably is provided with a peripheral rib Iila disposed between its top and bottom sides, and while said rib might be variously formed, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it is shown as rectangular in vertical cross section. Disc I0 is shown as having parallel flat top and bottom sides and. rib Ida inclines slightly or is disposed at a slight angle to said top and bottom sides. An upper plate II is provided, the same having a circular opening therein, said plate fitting about the upper portion of disc Ill and being rabbeted to fit about rib Ela. A lower plate I2 is provided, the same also having a circular opening therein so as to fit about the lower portion of disc l0 and being rabbeted to fit about rib Ida, plates II and I2 being in engagement and thus surrounding and enclosing disc Ill. Plates II and I2 have their top and bottom sides respectively flush with the top and bottom sides of disc in. Plates II and I2 are shown as of rectangular form and as being connected some distance from disc It) by the screws 53 threaded into plate I2 and having grooved heads countersunk into plate !2. The plates I I and I2 are oifset at one side, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that the projecting portion I2a of plate I2 may be disposed under the tongue Ma of a board I4, such as a floor board shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 2 a number of the boards I4 of tongue and groove form are shown in assembled relation to form part of a floor. A floor support I5 also formed of boards is shown beneath boards I4 and extending to one side thereof. A handle I6 is secured to disc IQ and while this handle might be variously formed, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated it is shown as a tube or pipe flattened at one end to engage the top of disc Ill and is secured to disc It) by the countersunk screws I'I. Handle I6 is bent to extend upwardly and laterally to one side of disc I8 and has an open outer end. A cap I8 is threaded on said outer end to close the same. Disc ID is provided with a vertically extending aperture Iflb which extends therethrough and which is adapted to have a pin I9 pass therethrough. Pin I9 has a pointed end and is adapted to be driven into the floor support I5. Pin I9 preferably is provided with a notch or slot I9a adjacent its upper end.

In operation when a board I4, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is placed in position its groove MD is placed over the tongue I4a of the last board.

as shown in Fig. 2, and its tongue Ma is projecting at its outer side. The device described is now brought into position, as shown in Fig. 2, with portion IZa extending under tongue Ida and engaging the outer side of board I4. The side of upper plate II may engage the outer side of tongue I la. With the device so positioned, the pin I9 is now passed through aperture I01) and driven into the floor support I5. Handle I6 is now turned by the operator and disc I8 must now rotate about the axis of pin I9. Due to the eccentricity of pin IS the plates II and I2 are moved laterally and pressure is exerted against board I4 to press it very firmly and closely against the adjacent board. When the handle I6 is brought to or close to dead center position, as shown in Fig. 1, with its longitudinal axis substantially in line with the center of pin I9, it will remain in this position with pressure still on board I4. The nails can now be driven into board I4. These nails are commonly of a type having small heads and are driven downwardly into the angle between the top of tongue Ma and the outer side of board I4. These nails are commonly called toe nails. When the board is thus naied, handle It can be swung to release the pressure on board I 3 and pin I9 will be withdrawn from floor support I5. Notch or slot I9a is provided in pin I9 so that an implement can be placed in said notch or slot to quickly withdraw pin I9. By locating disc Iii in different circumferential positions before handle IE is turned, various degrees of pressure can be exerted on the board. Bib IIla, when it is rotated due to its slight upward inclination, tends to raise the sides of plates II and I2 adjacent board I4. This acts to prevent binding or too much friction at the bottom of plate I2 and on the bottom of board I4. When the device is not in use, pin I9 can conveniently be placed in the outer end of handle I6. Cap I8 can be removed to so place pin I9 and then again put in place to close the outer end of handle l6 and insure that pin I9 will not be lost. The pin is thus always readily available when its use is desired.

From the above description it will be seen that I have provided a very simple and yet highly efficient device for tightening boards, such as floor boards. The device is comparatively small and comprises few parts and is thus very handy 4 to handle and manipulate. in position and can be very quickly operated. The laying of the floor is thus speeded up and greatly facilitated. The device has been amply demonstrated in actual practice, found to be very successful and efficient and is being commercially made.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which generally stated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above set forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A floor-tightening device having in combina ion, a circular disc having a peripheral rib formed thereon, upper and lower plates fit ting over said rib and surrounding said disc, said disc being revoluble between said plates, said lower plate being adapted to rest on a floor support and one of said plates having a rectilinear side constructed and arranged to engage the side of a floor board, a handle secured to and extending upwardly and laterally to one side of said disc, said disc having an aperture extending vertically therethrough at one side of the center thereof, and a pin adapted to extend through said aperture into the floor support whereby when said handle is turned said disc will rotate about said pin and said plates will be moved laterally.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, said rib being slightly inclined to the top surface of said disc.

RAY E. BLOMSTROM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 164,145 Clark June 8, 1875 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 125,624 Germany Nov. 29, 1901 It is quickly placed- 

